“I Got the Horse Right Here”

Come Saturday, May 6, the stands at Churchill Downs will be packed with “guys and dolls” who have come from far and wide to watch the first leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown – the Kentucky Derby. And the Louisville area FBO ramps will be packed as well, with more than 1,000 owned and chartered business jets and turboprops expected to arrive between Thursday, May 4 and Race Day morning to attend the surrounding events.

Whether you arrive on Thursday for the Taste of Derby, on Friday to watch three-year old fillies compete in the Kentucky Oaks – or Saturday afternoon in time to hear Harry Connick, Jr. sing the National Anthem before the 143rd Run for the Roses, you’ll find a warm welcome and excellent on-site support for your aircraft and crew at both Bowman and Standiford Fields.

You won’t need luck to leave after the race to ensure that you’re able to make that post-race run down the taxiway. Several business jet and engine manufacturers and service organizations will have support crews on site to ensure that your flights to and from the Bluegrass State are smooth and trouble-free.

These companies are staging technicians, parts, and tooling on standby in Louisville to ensure that your prospects for post-Derby departure remain rosy:

Maintenance Support

GAMA Aviation

Gama Aviation, the global aviation services company, has increased its Aircraft on Ground (AOG) peak period support and will be placing additional mobile and field service engineer support at all surrounding airports of the region in preparation for the large wave of business jets expected in Louisville.

Rolls-Royce Support

Customer Manager, John Marsh, will be in region and your point of contact if assistance is required. Rolls-Royce On-Wing Care personnel will also be positioned in the region and their support may be coordinated via John or your Rolls-Royce regional Customer Manager..

Dassault Falcon Jet

Dassault Falcon will offer a range of on-ground services to support Falcon owners to include frontline personnel and a GoTeam of experienced AOG Technicians with the parts, tools and specialized equipment to handle a variety of maintenance needs.

Dassault Falcon will offer a range of on-ground services to support Falcon owners to include frontline personnel and a GoTeam of experienced AOG Technicians with the parts, tools, and specialized equipment to handle a variety of maintenance needs.

Off-site resources will be available through the company’s network of Authorized Service Centers; four spare parts distribution centers throughout the U.S.—including our newest location in Louisville; and our large-cabin, long-range Falcon 900 aircraft dedicated exclusively to AOG support.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Beginning May 3 and continuing through May 7, Gulfstream will have its Chicago-area-based Field and Airborne Support Team (FAST) vehicle on the Atlantic Aviation ramp at Louisville International Airport. The vehicle will be manned by factory-trained technicians.

The large, custom-outfitted vehicle includes technical data access, a consolidated toolbox, parts, a generator, and a ground power unit.

Overseeing support will be field service representative (FSR) Tim Centivany.

Bombardier Business Aircraft

Bombardier Business Aircraft will be on site to provide support to ensure operators remain on time, ready, and set to get away from the races.

A mobile response unit manned by two technicians will be on site in Louisville, Kentucky, from Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7. This vehicle carries state-of-the-art diagnostics tools supporting Learjet, Challenger, and Global aircraft, as well as a wide array of equipment. Our local Field Service Representative will also be available for support.

The Customer Response Tram (CRT) aircraft will be on standby in DuPage, IL to make quick shipments from our main parts hub in the Chicago area. The CRT aircraft will be dedicated to support Bombardier operators during the weekend.

For scheduling maintenance, Bombardier operators should contact their Field Service Representative or the CRC at 1-866-538-1247 or ac.yul@aero.bombardier.com

Textron

The Textron Aviation 1Call support team will be standing by to assist customers in Louisville. Two of Textron Aviation’s more than 60 Mobile Service Units (MSUs) will be in the region to support the full line of Cessna Citation, Beechcraft King Air, and Hawker turbine business jet and turboprop aircraft attending the event. These MSUs are equipped to perform limited inspections, engine, tire and brake service, and more.

Additionally, as part of its Air Response Service, U.S.-based support aircraft are available to rush parts and technicians in response to AOG situations to keep Textron Aviation owners and operators in the air. Customers can access the dedicated 1Call support team by dialing (316) 5I7-2090

KSDF – Louisville International Airport-Standiford Field

Atlantic Aviation

Beha Catering will be on site to complete and manage all catering requests.

There will be a separate station within Atlantic for catering.

Specific directions for crew regarding catering will be provided upon landing at SDF. There will be an employee by the crew exit asking every pilot if they have received their catering before departing the FBO.

Ground Transportation:

Rampside car service will be allowed for chauffeured vehicles.

There is a separate gate for chauffeured vehicles specifically.

Hertz is on site and Hertz representatives will be at Atlantic to arrange rental vehicles, arranged through the FBO.

Rental vehicles can be returned in Atlantic’s parking lot.

Rental vehicles are not allowed rampside.

Rampside:

Aircraft parking reservations are strongly encouraged.

$625 event fee per trip.

Reservations are subject to a $200 cancellation fee if Atlantic is not notified of the cancellation or tail number change via email.

Taxiways will be shutting down for parking.

Atlantic will be tracking all inbound and outbound tails as well as parking locations.

Atlantic also requests that passengers remember their tail number so that the staff can direct them to the correct aircraft parking location.

Shuttles and cars for transportation for passengers and crew from Atlantic’s Executive Terminal to the aircraft parking available.

Gil Wolin is Publisher of Business Aviation Advisor magazine. A frequent speaker at national and regional events, Mr. Wolin is a member of the National Business Aviation Association, the Massachusetts Airport Management Association, and Business Aviation Professionals of New England. He currently serves on the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Presidential Advisory Board. He is a past director of the National Air Transportation Association, and a past member of the Corporate Angel Network Advisory Board.